Hi,
I used to loop catv outlets. It looks like nowadays each outlet gets its own run to the exteriror wall where the interface will be.

Whats the best way to do the cabling for a sattelite setup?

thanks

greg

Hi Greg
I've found the most user friendly way to wire a satelite system is seperate home runs of both RG6 and a cat 3 or cat 5 phone line from each TV location to a central location, usually close to where your utilities enter the building. It is also a good idea to run 2 RG6 cables to the dish location so they have the option of having 2 seperate receivers.

John

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. This is a two receiver setup from one dish with two LNB's.

I was thinking of running home runs to the entertainment center in the living room but since there is only two main feeds I was considering slaving off of each main feed for the regular bedrooms and family room.

You can watch what the main receiver is getting but nothing else right?

thanks for the comments

-regards

Greg

[This message has been edited by mustangelectric (edited 12-18-2004).]

Hi Greg:

Actually, to feed additional rooms off of the feed(s) from the dish, you need a "multiswitch" [looks like an ordinary cable splitter, but actually allows multiple sat receivers to access the LNB's at the same time.] They are available at most big name electronic stores. Note that standard splitters or simply "tee"-ing the line will not work and may damage the LNB's or receivers (or both.)

Each room can watch whatever program they want to. The rub is each room must have its own receiver.

Now, if you want to split off the RF OUT from the main receiver at the ent. center, all you need is a standard splitter. But then of course all other rooms can only watch what the main room is watching.

Northbayec's suggestion is the best idea, it will allow for future expansion as well. The only change I would suggest is to send four runs of RG-6 from the dish location (for future upgrade to HI-DEF sat.)

[Edited for spelling]

[This message has been edited by mxslick (edited 12-18-2004).]

Hi,
Ok I am very glad I asked. I see why everybody runs a dedicated cable to each outlet.

This is the way I will do it from now on.

Thanks for the information.

-regards

Greg

Mustang,

Leviton's website has a lot of information about Data wiring, phone, tv and satellite. http://www.leviton-lin.com/installers/default.aspx
or click on this url for a installation guide. http://www.leviton-lin.com/news/documents/guides/USER%20GUIDE.pdf
I use Leviton's multi media centers, usually mounted in a utility room. I run all phone, computer, tv, satellite and speaker wiring for whole house audio to this media center.

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 12-18-2004).]

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 12-18-2004).]

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 12-18-2004).]

Many receivers from Dish or Direct have multiple tuners in them so some require 3 cables, 2 from lnbs and one from OTA. I'd think it would be pretty hard to predict what a customer wanted or to cover all the bases.

We use the leviton structured media panels as well. Our standard is a cat-5 and RG-6 to each tv location and two rg-6's to the attic to pick up the dish. We usually put two rg-6's at the "main" tv location because a lot of people are getting the tivo satelite recievers that require two cables.

Home runthe TV locations, 2 coaxes each to a "hub" location. Run 2 to the dish, with the easy possibility of more, or 4 right away from the dish to the "hub".

John Steinke and I among others were talking about this in the Chat Room last week.
Star topography is the way to go these days!.
All of the system cables come to one single point and all of your joints (for want of a better term) happen there.
Signal conditioning, amplification, attenuation or even modulation should occur at this point, usually called the System Hub.
To Electricians that aren't sure of how RF signals work, this area can be a mine-field, because many of the signals used are measured in micro-volts.
Also, at the same time, if you are doing a whole house installation, I'd recommend that all of the Data-Comms and Phone lines go to the same point.
I'd choose a vacant, but easily accessible area in the roof void, say next to the Man-Hole.
Get a 3ft x 3ft sheet of ply or MDF and a dedicated supply from your panel.
Everything should be in the roof to stop little hands disconnecting the F-connectors, and will save you on low profit call-backs to fix the system.
If you dedicate the supply, you have less chance of interference as well.

Trumpy, I agree with much of what you say however an attic is not the place for electronics. Temperatures can top 120 deg F in the summer even in northern climates. This spells disaster for amplifiers or anything else, even passive devices like splitters.

Best thing to do is put everything on the wall in the basement if there is one, assuming the area is protected from moisture. If there is no basement choose a closet or garage.

Keep in mind here that low temperatures are no good either. Most equipment will specify an operating temperature range and other environmental considerations that must be observed.

-Hal

I agree with Hal. I usually put my media center in the basement in a utility room. Usually this will be where the furnace is. I also usually put the electrical panel in this same room. I like to run 2 in. smurf tube from this room to the attic for future expansion. If I can talk the customer into it I run 3/4 in. smurf tube to all outlet locations for voice/data/video. That way in the future no matter what cable is needed I can pull out the old cable and pull in the new. www.carlon.com

lots of great info here...
kind of on the same subject, anyone know where to purchase additional receivers for "digital cable TV" or direct TV? other than renting/buying one from the service provider? we have "digital cable" at our house, and you can only watch the premium channels on the one TV with the receiver :-(

As far as I know cable boxes are only available from your cable company (legal ones anyway). I believe that most will only rent (of course, in a year you have paid for it) but there may be some areas and states that require them to sell it to you outright.

Cable companies are paranoid about theft of service and this is one way to help control it.

Direct TV or Dish network receivers (as provided via satellite) can be purchased from any number of places including Radio Shack just to name one. You will have to have it authorized by the service provider after you hook it up meaning that you will be paying for the programming.

-Hal

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 12-21-2004).]

Hi,
Thanks for the great replies, they were very informative.

What about grounding? I see this RG6 but it has no ground wire. I have seen it with a ground attached to the side.

I am assuming this is to bond the outside unit to the case of the receiver that is bonded by the cord connected to the egc of the circuit.

I need this ground wire don't I?

-regards

Greg

No Greg, that isn't a ground wire. It's a messenger strand that is used to support the cable when it is run between the pole and house. It should be bonded to the strand out on the street but that's about it. It should be twisted around the house hook to hold up the cable. For the rest of the cable run from that point on down the side of the house and in, the messenger strand should be stripped off and discarded. This leaves only the coax.
Where the coax enters the house you use a ground block to ground the shield on the coax. The ground block should be located as close as possible to where the coax enters the house, either outside or inside. Ideally this should be at the same location as the service and TELCO protector. You then run a #12 ground conductor to the service ground where the TELCO ground should be connected also.

Just to end any confusion, messengered cable is never used for anything other than aerial runs. Everything else is plain coax.

-Hal

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 12-22-2004).]